Related Stories

Topics

BUFFALO -- Bryan Murray is in a Catch-22 regarding his assistant general manager's chances of shuffling off to Buffalo.

"It would be a big loss to an organization," Murray said of Tim Murray, who was interviewed Tuesday for the GM job of the Sabres. "But from a personal point of view, he's certainly a legitimate guy to be a GM in the NHL."

Tim Murray refused to comment on his meeting with Sabres president Pat LaFontaine.

Many around the league view the job as very appealing, as team owner Terry Pegula is expected to spend to the cap if that's what it takes to make the Sabres a winner, and a couple of solid pieces are in place with LaFontaine and coach Ted Nolan.

But while LaFontaine was expected to make a quick hire, it appears he's now in no rush.

"He's waiting for somebody to knock his socks off," said one Sabres insider.

Was that somebody Murray? Time will tell.

STARTS AND STOPS

Cory Conacher had to hear the cheers when he set up Milan Michalek for the Senators first goal. In attendance at First Niagara Center was about eight members of his girlfriend's family, eight from his, and a number of friends he went to school at nearby Canisius College. Having that many supporters, Conacher said earlier in the day, can put "a little extra firer in your belly to make something happen." "¦ New/old coach Ted Nolan has made a world of difference in the attitude around the Sabres dressing room. "When you have a guy like that, where the communication is there and there's a mutual respect, only positive things can come from that," veteran Drew Stafford said after the morning skate. "We're definitely stepping in the right direction." Nolan, who leaves the x's and o's to assistant Joe Sacco, is all about getting the best out of people. When he was hired, so the story goes, Nolan looked at the very impressive Sabres video room and said: "Nice room, too bad we'll never use it. Maybe we can get some movies and the guys can hang around after practice." "¦ Nolan benched veteran Ville Leino for Tuesday's game. Upon learning that he wouldn't be playing, Leino told Buffalo reporters he didn't know what Nolan wanted from him. Said Nolan: "We want to see guys with effort on a consistent basis. This isn't just to pick on Leino. It's a message we have to get out throughout the whole team. We hold them accountable to one another. We're in a production business. We have to perform. If you're not performing, maybe you have to sit and watch for awhile."

BETWEEN PERIODS

Kyle Turris admitted the adrenaline was flowing during his fight with Sean Courturier Monday at Canadian Tire Centre. "It was going," he said the next morning. "But it was more just at the end of a long shift and just trying to get out of it. He was a bigger guy I was just trying to hold on to at the beginning, catch my breath. He started throwing, so I didn't want to be the only guy not throwing." Turris has now been in four fights since the 2008-09 season, also dropping the gloves with Kris Versteeg, Daniel Briere and, in last spring's playoffs, P.K. Subban. Couturier got the best of him Monday, cutting Turris over the right eye."You literally don't feel a thing," he said when asked about the sting. "You just keep throwing, try to hold on and keep throwing." Asked if he was now going to start scrapping a little more, Turris replied: "It's my one for the year, until Erik Condra gets his one, then I'll have to go for number two."

IN PASSING

Erik Karlsson entered the night with six goals in his last six games against the Sabres. "I'd like to make it eight then," Karlsson said, referring to the pair Ottaw has with Buffalo this week. "Two (more) would be nice.-¦ Sabres winger Marcus Foligno can kid that he taught older brother Nick everything he knows, but maybe there's some truth to it. When Nick scored a highlight reel, between the legs goal against Ben Bishop a couple of weeks ago, it was a page from Marcus' book. "I did it first, against New York, when the puck came off the end boards,' said Marcus. "But his move was with a little more finesse.-¦ Stafford's uncle Barry has been the equipment manager of the Edmonton Oilers for the last 30 or so years. He says Barry and his dad, Gord, a former player with the old IHL's Milwaukee Admirals, are responsible for getting him interested in hockey. Gord, who runs a girl's program back home, still plays. Was he any good? "I'm not going to chirp my dad," laughed Drew. " I think he was. He's still got really good hands. Still likes scoring goals, the cellys. It's all about scoring goals." "¦ Asked Tuesday morning about keeping the new line of Clarke MacArthur, Jason-Spezza and Bobby Ryan together, coach Paul MacLean was non-committal. "Right now we're going to start the game the way we finished the game (Monday) to see if we can finish the game the way we started, or start this one the way we finished (Monday), and we'll go from there," said Yogi Berra, um, MacLean.

BUFFALO -- Bryan Murray is in a Catch-22 regarding his assistant general manager's chances of shuffling off to Buffalo.

"It would be a big loss to an organization," Murray said of Tim Murray, who was interviewed Tuesday for the GM job of the Sabres. "But from a personal point of view, he's certainly a legitimate guy to be a GM in the NHL."

Tim Murray refused to comment on his meeting with Sabres president Pat LaFontaine.

Many around the league view the job as very appealing, as team owner Terry Pegula is expected to spend to the cap if that's what it takes to make the Sabres a winner, and a couple of solid pieces are in place with LaFontaine and coach Ted Nolan.

But while LaFontaine was expected to make a quick hire, it appears he's now in no rush.

"He's waiting for somebody to knock his socks off," said one Sabres insider.